What to Know
- The 36-year-old man from Brooklyn who pleaded guilty last month to striking and killing a 63-year-old motorist on the Belt Parkway as he was driving over 90 mph while under the influence of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol in December 2020 was sentenced to prison in connection to the crime, local prosecutors said Wednesday.
- Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jason Bical was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for aggravated vehicular manslaughter in connection to the December 2020 deadly incident.
- Bical was speeding westbound on the Belt Parkway near 131st Street at 92 mph when he struck the victim, Taher Ali Hassan, also of Brooklyn, prosecutors said.
The 36-year-old man from Brooklyn who pleaded guilty last month to striking and killing a 63-year-old motorist on the Belt Parkway as he was driving over 90 mph while under the influence of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol in December 2020 was sentenced to prison in connection to the crime, local prosecutors said Wednesday.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jason Bical was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for aggravated vehicular manslaughter in connection to the December 2020 deadly incident.
According to court documents, at about 12:45 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2020, Bical was driving a white 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, registered to his family-owned business, Bical Chevrolet of Valley Stream. Bical was speeding westbound on the Belt Parkway near 131st Street at 92 mph when he struck the victim, Taher Ali Hassan, also of Brooklyn.
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Hassan was rushed to a local hospital with severe head trauma and later died from his injuries.
According to Katz, Bical’s blood alcohol level was .174 – twice the legal limit. Additional toxicology results showed that the Bical also had significant amounts of both cocaine and marijuana in his system at the time of the crash.
Two plastic bags containing cocaine were also found in the center console of the car Bical was driving, prosecutors said.
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The Crash Data Recorder recovered from Bical’s vehicle revealed that he was driving 92 mph -- 42 mph over the posted speed limit -- just five seconds before striking the victim.
“This defendant admitted he was driving at almost double the speed limit while intoxicated with drugs and alcohol. He already had two prior Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol convictions from Brooklyn and should never have been behind the wheel. Neither his admission nor his sentence will return the life that was lost," Katz said in a statement.
